Posted by Green Patents
Forget the iPhone 4 that everyone is talking about today, there is a far cooler Apple-related news item to discuss.
Apple has filed a patent for a full range of “media players with integrated touch sensor solar panel surfaces.” Basically, we may soon be seeing solar-powered iPods, iPhones and even iPads.
The neatest feature of this patent that puts it a few steps above your typical solar-cell-covered cell phone is the placement of the solar cells underneath the multi-touch surface. Your iPhone will still look like an iPhone, but it will run on the sun’s energy.
The recent switch from a metal backside on the iPhone to a glass one (see the iPhone 4 details) would allow for an internal double-sided solar panel, as shown in the patent diagrams. This makes it clear that Apple is moving in the direction of integrating solar cells.
The patent shows that the solar cells would charge the rechargeable battery, which will run the media player or the battery can run the media player directly (i.e. you’ll still be able to charge it the old-fashioned way).
For detailed photos of the patent, head over to www.patsnap.com and read their full description.
via ecogeek.org
No comments:
Post a Comment